The world is our canvas

Early March this year we had the opportunity to go to Nepal. A country we’ve never visited before but always wanted to go to. Arriving early in the morning we were surprised over how much it reminded us of the Northern India, (maybe not that surprising after all since they’re neighbours).

But Nepal felt like a calmer India. That said our minds did have a hard time to find peace in Kathmandu because of all the cars that were beeping on the streets, people walking everywhere and street dogs running and the heavy pollution in the air that created a constant layer of grey dust over the city. But we were still touched by Nepal and by Kathmandu, mostly because of it’s people. For most people visiting Nepal, Kathmandu is just a short stop on the way to the mountains.

Just about a year ago Nepal were all over the news after a big earthquake struck the country with a magnitude of 7.9. Many people died and lost their homes and schools where destroyed, also a lot of tourism disappeared as a consequence of the earthquake. Help didn’t arrive when it should have and people are still struggling to get their life back to normal. The same morning we arrived we decided to go out on the streets with our cameras to get a better feeling of the city, as we walked the streets and talked to people one thing they all mentioned was the earthquake and how happy they were to see tourists. (A lot of their economy is built on tourism), all of the people we stopped to talk to took time to speak to us, even though all of them didn’t speak english we did find a way to share some moments together and to share some smiles.

People of Nepal are some of the most warm hearted people we have meet and that’s what we are taking with us back home. We can all share our smiles with each other even though we do not speak the same language. We hope some of these photos reflects the beauty of the people of Nepal that we meet on our trip.

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In between shooting weddings on weekends and work this summer we’ve been busy with something that’s been in the making for the last year, and we are so excited to say it has finally happened. As of last weekend we are now living in Auckland, New Zealand!

It is really a dream come true, and a dream we have fought for so long. Now that we’re here we will make sure to enjoy every moment and work hard to build on what we’ve fought for so long. A new adventure has begun.

This weekend we craved to see the ocean so bad and decided to do a trek with some friends from Auckland. Thanks to Epic Little missions we found a suitable trek just 45 minutes from the city.

Forming part of the Hillary trail, the Te Henga walkway boasts some incredible coastal views. The track varies and can be rutted and steep in parts. Tracks become slippery after periods of rain so this is not for the faint-hearted.

As this is not a loop track you will need to organise a pick up or leave a car at the other end. We decided to walk halfway and then return back to Constable Rd near Muriwai to save some time.

From Constable Rd the Te Henga Walkway crosses drops down a steep valley and continues out to the windy cliffs, to reveal amazing view of the surrounding coastline. It was a beautiful sunny day and behind a sand stone cliff we found shelter from the wind to have a Swedish fika.

It is amazing how fast you can get from Auckland to places as beautiful as this, we are hooked on you New Zealand!

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In late May, we escaped to Sicily to relax before the wedding, our own wedding, and to get a little vacation before the busy summer. We bought plane tickets and searched for accommodation on Airbnb. We found a place outside the small village of Scopello, located on the outskirts of Palermo. Perfect getaway for us and close to a lot of attractions. It was the perfect place to start and end our days.

Scopello is located close to Sicily’s first national reserve, filled with a lot of hiking trails and stunning natural beach coves.

Scopello is also close to Castellammare fishing port. We got up early on day to welcome the fishermen when they came into harbour. We stood there and watched their everyday conversations with each other, how they showed off their catch of the day and selected the best once’s for sale. Next to the harbor was a small local fish restaurant in a shed. We ate perhaps the tastiest fish in Sicily at that place.

The next day, we went so explore the nature reserve Riserva Naturale Dello Zingaro. In total, it took four hours to walk one way, but we stopped at different beach coves along the way, sunbathed and swam the turquoise water. It was a beautiful hike but so hot! We brought a picnic from the local grocery van in Scopello. Olives and cheese…Mmmm yummy! Stay tuned for more.

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If you can imagine yourself parking the car in the smallest town you’ve been, on a lonely street just after dusk, looking for something that might be open this late hour. Suddenly you see a light further up the road, you hear distant sounds of violins and singing. A smile slowly covers your face as you realize you’re in Ireland now and there is always a bar open.

So this midsummer we escaped Sweden for a weekend in Ireland, heading for the west coast in a rental car with our friend Kate (who is of Irish descent) to explore the green hills and coastal villages of The Burren.

We started off with a beautiful evening at the Cliffs of Mohir where we climbed the wall to lay in the soft grass hills watching the sun set on us. After that we headed into the nearest small town and quickly found ourselves with a pint of Guiness in local pub. Some of the locals were playing violins, guitar and singing, some were just listening while small talking to their neighbors. We had a great first taste of Ireland before heading back to our lovely B&B outside of Lahinch.

The next day we travelled north following the coast for some castle sightseeing on the way to a small fishing town that would be our next stop. On the way we stopped on a local farmers market to buy some strawberries, Fredrik also climbed a field to pose as an irish man in his new outfit, he looks so much like a local! Ireland is truly striking with it’s beautiful scenery, especially if you head for the west coast. Our day ended at the very end of the long and narrow road that led us to Roundstone, where we had some tasty local seafood at O’dowd’s pub watching the sun set on the returning fishing boats.

Our last night in Ireland we hooked up with some friends of Kate from New Zealand who’s living in Dublin, we stayed in their lovely apartment and was treated to an epic night on the crowded streets of Dublin. We even got cake for Sosy’s birthday and got everyone on the street to sing along for her.

It was a hectic few days with a lot of driving but in the end worth every mile. If you go to Dublin, you should really try and making out to the west coast, it’s a totally different country, except of course there is at least one bar, even if the town only has one street.

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it has been a while since we updated now, we are so sorry for that. Winter engulfed us in other activities and not so much traveling. For example, we have been planning our own wedding which took place in mid-June(!)

Getting married was among the most fun, energy-filling and adrenaline pumping thing we’ve ever done. We are still walking on clouds when we think back to that amazing weekend. We are so happy that all our beloved friends and closest family where there to experience the mountains of Laponia, where we have our roots, to celebrate love and friendship together with us.

Some of our friends even came all the way from New Zealand! Amazing! They were also recording it all on film, so if you want to get a sneak peek of what words cant describe, check their awesome teaser of the day before the wedding on their blog. As wedding photographers this was an amazing experience as well. We can’t be happier starting off this wedding season as a married couple!

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We made a short stop in Unawatuna on our way south and we had a great day on the beach. It’s crazy hot here during daytime. In the evening we got some work done and during our brakes we had a lassi or two…

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Axel & Berg is a Wedding & Travel photography duo from the northern parts of Sweden concisting of Susanne Axelsson and Fredrik Bergström. Together we travel around the world equipped with cameras, documenting and always on the chase for new places and warm-hearted people we haven't yet met.

From these trips insights, feelings, and moments take the form of photographs and are shared here for everyone to see. Because the world is our canvas and we hope you want to be a part of it too.